Born March 17, 1962 in Grand-Bassam, east of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the songwriter, arranger, producer, director and singer, Frédéric-Désiré Ehui aka Meiway, nicknamed Professor Awolowo or the genius of Grand Bassam by his fans, is the forerunner of the modern zoblazo. This Afro-dance music of Appolos (Akans) from the east, south and south-east of Ivory Coast, is also practiced in southwestern Ghana where they are called Nzema (or Nzima). Meiway explores other musical styles such as the coupé-décalé, the mapouka, the wolosso (erotic dance) and the zouglou ivoiriens, the Cameroonian makossa, the Congolese ndombolo or afro-zouk of Caribbean origin.